Doodshoofd – Boterzuur (CD-R, Not on Label)

Boterzuur is a more abrasive release from Doodshoofd, and it’s a relatively long-running disc featuring seven walls that creep and crawl. Often, Boterzuur‘s walls tend to be a bit more expansive than Doodshoofd’s other work, and they are not limited to the same static scrawl that most walls convey.

Opener “Boterzuur” shows the meandering feature of the work with an introduction that swirls before settling; even then, its background judder is always fluttering around with just the hint of change. The same is true of “De Hersenspoelers”, which doesn’t hit its wallish sound until a couple of minutes into the piece.

This reliance on intros and different textures allows Doodshoofd to expand his scope for a while before moving into the more limiting territory of the wall. It’s good to see the oscillations on Boterzuur, tones that tend to fluctuate pitch on and off throughout the track without totally changing the wall. It gives the listener a focal point while the stasis of the static rages. It also means Boterzuur is a bit more abrasive; it has some jagged edges to it that emphasizes the harsh of the HNW.

Track five, “Lisa”, does sound a bit like Doodshoofd’s sprawling work Heil HNW, although that might just be because I listened to that album first. It doesn’t matter if the track is maddeningly similar to that other work; it works in both areas, and here it’s slightly truncated. The longest track is “Bewust Zijn” at 25 minutes; second to last on the album, it’s a good closer but feels out of place in the structure of the disc because of the long nature of Boterzuur.

Overall, though, a freshly textured piece of wall from Doodshoofd that holds the attention through its lengthy format. Like always, Doodshoofd gives us almost too much of a good thing here, and it ensures a tough listen for those looking to devote their time to the entirety of the album.

From now until further notice, I will not be accepting digital submissions (unless they are digital-only release, in which case I will make an exception based on the nature of the request). It is too hard to deal with the many, many emails of Bandcamp links. I will be attempting to finish up the digital submissions I have already received.